A Milford father is now facing a slate of serious charges after prosecutors say his 4-month-old daughter died following what they describe as weeks of escalating abuse. A Clermont County grand jury on Tuesday indicted 30-year-old Marcellaus Malone on 10 counts, including felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, domestic violence and seven counts of endangering children. The case began with a December call to Milford police, when first responders found the infant unresponsive and unable to be revived.
Prosecutors describe months-long pattern
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve told the grand jury that the alleged abuse stretched back at least two months before the baby’s death on Dec. 11, 2025, and that the panel returned the 10-count indictment on Tuesday. The charges include one count each of felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and domestic violence, along with seven counts of endangering children. First responders rushed the child to a hospital, but medical staff could not bring her back, according to WCPO.
Video, swaddling and bruising cited as evidence
Investigators say a key piece of evidence is video that allegedly shows Malone telling the baby, “you’re going to be a dead baby,” and threatening to throw her on a bed if she “pissed [him] off.” Prosecutors further allege Malone punished the child for crying by swaddling her so tightly that her head and mouth were sometimes covered until she lost consciousness. They also accuse him of punching the infant in the face at least once, leaving a noticeable bruise, according to WLWT.
Autopsy lists occlusion by swaddling as a contributing factor
An autopsy reportedly found no other medical cause for the child’s death, but documented a “reported history of occlusion of the nose and mouth by swaddling of the body and head” as a contributing factor. Prosecutors say the baby’s mother had swaddled her properly on the night she died, and that Malone was the last person to see the infant alive before placing her in a bassinet in a nearby room. As reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, the grand jury returned 10 counts tied to the case.
Court timetable and legal exposure
Malone was arrested on April 16 on endangering-children charges and, according to court records, is scheduled to appear in Clermont County court on Monday, April 27. Tekulve has said Malone faces a potential life sentence if convicted on all counts. “Children are our most precious gifts. It is unthinkable that this innocent child could have been treated in such a callous and evil manner,” the prosecutor told WCPO.
